BennParr

I remember this! I know that Straff had a snapping "event" with Elend, but I don't remember it like a "raid". Also, I'm not sure if the timing matches. I thought Elend was very young when he got that beat down, and according to Kelsier this "raid" was only a couple of years ago, when Elend would have been 18ish.

I'm rereading Mistborn: The Final Empire and I came across a passage that I hadn't taken note of before between Kelsier and Vin: K: I've started being more careful since you trailed me last week- at first I assumed you were a Venture Mistborn V: They have some? K: I'm sure they do. Most of the Great Houses do- but you friend Elend isn't one of them. He's not even a Misting. V: How do you know? He could be hiding it. K: He nearly died in a raid a couple of years ago- if there was ever a time to show your powers, it would have been then. -Mistborn: The Final Empire chapter 13 So, Elend almost died in this raid. Do.we know what the raid was? Was it as minor as skaa rushing the keep, or another House? What I want it to be is a skaa raid, that most definitely ended in the skaa's death. Because I think that answers one huge question: Why did Elend start to study about the treatment of Skaa? Imagine this raid. A group of Skaa men and women, let's say 40 or so want to get into keep Venture because of some grudge with Straff. Maybe he was careless at a brothel with skaa girls, and he had the place destroyed with everyone inside, or maybe he's just the most accessible nobleman to them, and they want to take someone down. So they rush Keep Venture, or maybe they sneak in, maybe even with help from the inside (after all, guards for the Keeps are many times also Skaa looking for money) Now, thier goal is Straff, but they don't get him. Maybe Straff escaped, or has a safe room that he can hide in, but Elend was not so lucky. Elend is the only Venture there facing the ire of these skaa, and he's terrified, and his father has left him behind. What if this neat death experience with a group of Skaa instead of spurring him towards hatred of them like his father and the majority of noble society, jolts his curious mind to wonder what happened to make these Skaa hate him, when he had done nothing to harm them. It also illustrates an earlier example of Strafford treatment towards Elend. Anyway, I wanted to share that because I think it's an interesting little hole in Elend's story. What do you think? Am I missing something? Has Brandon already spoken about this? -Benn

In last week's (or maybe the previous month's) Shardkeepers podcast there was a really cool theory that shardblades would be made of Tanavastium (i.e. the metal counterpart for Honor like Atium was the metal counterpart for Ruin) which is wicked cool to think of. Who knows if that's the case, but what would it do to Vin to burn Tanavastium? Would it give her surgebinding without a spren a la the honorblades?

Haha! I never though anyone would respond so quickly! That final line turns so much around for me too. Love how Mistborn is a constant rollercoaster of adjusting your perception of the world. Thanks for the welcome. I'm strange too, so I'm sure I'll fit in.

Hey everyone! I've never done the forum thing before, but I really love Brandon Sanderson's books, and talking about them! I actually am starting a comedy/fan podcast with my best friend in a little bit where we are rereading Mistborn. t's a nice excuse to talk to each other ever since he moved to Indiana as well as read my favorite books and talk about them. Since we're rereading Mistborn, I wanted to ask, want was your favorite or most memorable part of Mistborn: The Final Empire for you? I'll include the thumbnail for the podcast below, mostly because it makes me laugh a ton. Good to be here!